POLOKWANE – Following a community assault on the police and a paramedic who were trying to help at the scene of one person who had been killed in Seshego Zone 5 on Christmas Day, Review caught up with the paramedic, Gerhard Jacobs from ER24, who gave his first hand account of what had happened.

“My partner and I were called to an accident scene in Seshego Zone 5. Upon arriving at the scene we saw a provincial ambulance on its side. I walked around to see if I could assist and saw a WEV-ambulance which picked up the patient that was in the provincial ambulance.

After assuring that the patient was stable, I walked back to the provincial ambulance to see if the paramedics were fine. This was when I saw a paramedic and a man from the ambulance talking, looking concerned. They kept looking to the opposite side of the road where I noticed a man lying under a car, behind the back wheels. As I walked to the patient, someone, I presume a family member, lied down in front of the patient, shaking him.

As I got there and kneeled, another person, who I also presume were a family member, lied down next to me.

I asked the first man five times to please make way as I needed to check the patient.

He then tried to hit me, and I blocked him, asking again if I could check the patient. The next moment the other man hit me on the side of my head with a brick. I cannot remember what happened after that.

Jaco van Zyl and my partner, Prueden Sehlodimela, took me to hospital. I had a concussion, a bleeding nose and a bloody eye. This was not a nice way to spend Christmas. I tried to help someone, only to get hurt.

The police on the scene were also attacked and we did open a case.

According to police spokesperson, Lt Col Montashe Ngoepe, a case was opened at the Seshego Police Station. “The two suspects appeared in court and were released on a warning. They will appear again tomorrow. Police investigations are still continuing,” he said.

raeesak@nmgroup.co.za